'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/2gAIAQEAAAAAm//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/2gAIAQIQAAAAf//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/2gAIAQMQAAAAf//EABoQAQABBQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECEBESMVH/2gAIAQEAAT8AyARjddPKf//EABQRAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/2gAIAQIBAT8Af//EABQRAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/2gAIAQMBAT8Af//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chelsea managed to do the unthinkable i.e beating Barcelona in a two legged tie and reaching the finals in Munich. The sheer doggedness of this team to fight with 10 men and defend like men possessed won the hearts of footballing fans all around the world. This tie does mitigate a few painful memories of 2008-2009 Champions league where a controversy ridden tie left the Chelsea fans fuming. However, this match was not free from controversies either. Scaling Mount improbable was always going to be a brutal and herculean task but the Blues managed to prevail in the end.
Trending
Team News
Barcelona
Barcelona made their intentions clear by using a 3-4-3 or rather a 3-4-2-1 formation with a major emphasis on the attack. Puyol, Pique and Mascherano were the central defenders. Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets and Cuenca were in the midfield. Cuenca was chosen ahead of Tello following the latter’s dismal performance against Real Madrid. Fabregas, Messi and Alexis formed the attack.
Chelsea
Chelsea already had players who were one card away from missing their next game but decided to risk it all. Di Matteo named a 4-1-4-1 with Drogba, operating as the lone forward and Mikel as the defensive midfielder. Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry and Cole formed the back four while Mata, Meireles, Lampard and Ramires formed the midfield. Chelsea very well knew that attacking opportunities are going to be limited and were banking on the occasional counter attack to see them through.
Chelsea were leading the tie on aggregate 1-0 before the start of the match. Straight after kickoff the Barcelona domination had begun as they spread the play looking for goals. Barcelona looked dangerous in every attack as Alexis and Messi came close to scoring early on. Both teams suffered defensive setbacks as Cahill and Pique had to be substituted very early in the match. Cahill was carted off following a hamstring injury while Pique seemed dazed after a collision with Valdes in the box.
Barcelona’s possession game seemed to be paying off as Busquets prodded the ball into the net from close range after Cuenca set him up beautifully by cutting back across. The score read 1-1 and it was advantage Barcelona. Barely two minutes later, Terry received a straight red for apparently kneeing Alexis from behind. Six minutes later, things went from bad to worse for the Blues as Barcelona robbed them of possession in the midfield and in a swift break of attack, Iniesta managed to put one past Cech making the tie 2-0 (2-1 on agg).
It all seemed over for Chelsea but a certain Brazilian named Ramires had other plans in mind. He is already going to miss the finals following a booking but that didn’t seem to bother him much. After being set up by Lampard, he showed some class to chip the ball over a bemused Valdes bringing the match alive with a precious away goal 2-1 (2-2 on agg). The first half came to an end with Chelsea’s champions league ambitions hanging by a thread.
It is always a mammoth task to face Barcelona at home as their home form has been incredible at Camp Nou (100+ goals scored, 16 conceded, 1 match lost). Playing with 10 men was going to be hellish but Chelsea seemed ready for it. However, Drogba brought down Fabregas early in the second half but miraculously Messi’s penalty hit the bar. The Argentine failing to break his jinx against Chelsea once again. Chances of scoring another goal looked bleak as Barcelona had no answers to Chelsea’s mighty nine man defence.
Cech denied Cuenca by making a decent save and seemed intent on not conceding anymore. The clock was ticking and Barcelona had thrown almost every man into the attack while Chelsea had literally every man defending their goal. Barcelona hit the bar a couple of times and at times were often denied by the spectacular Cech. Much to the relief of all Chelsea fans, Barcelona had one goal ruled out for offside. Torres came late on after a tired Drogba made his way to the bench. In the dying moments of the match with the entire Barcelona side playing in Chelsea’s half, the ball kindly fell to Torres who raced down the empty Barcelona half and kept his composure to round off Valdes and seal the match.
A priceless goal for El Niño and probably his most important goal in the Chelsea colours. He already had a decent track record against Barcelona during his Atletico days and this goal just managed to enhance it a bit more. A magnificent comeback from a 10 man Chelsea squad who held their nerve to win the tie (3-2 on aggregate).
